Trump Raises Possibility of Shutdown This Weekend

President Trump speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House Dec. 6. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(Newser)
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It's an unusually busy time on Capitol Hill. GOP lawmakers are trying to get a tax bill to President Trump before the end of the year, but first they must contend with a Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown. On Wednesday, President Trump raised the possibility that the shutdown will indeed take effect on Saturday, reports the Hill. "It could happen," he told reporters at the White House, blaming Democrats for an impasse over immigration. "The Democrats are really looking at something that is very dangerous to our country. They are looking at shutting down." Trump was referring to Democratic demands that any stopgap legislation also address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals issue, referring to young, undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, however, downplayed the risk of a shutdown, per the AP. Pelosi said Trump is the "only person talking about a government shutdown." She and Sen. Charles Schumer meet with the president and top congressional Republicans on Thursday. Previously, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated categorically that no shutdown would take place. House conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, meanwhile, were raising their own fiscal demands in regard to the shutdown, notes Politico. House Speaker Paul Ryan met with them Wednesday, though no deal was reached.

People are finally catching on that government shutdowns don't mean jack

Carlos Danger

Dec 7, 2017 9:17 AM CST

Go Trump! If the Dems are unable to legislate the DACA issue and want to resort to a shut down to get their way then Shut 'er down! It's up to them. Trump gave them six months to pretend to be legislators. If they (even they) realize that they are total incompetents and can't reach a deal in the alloted time (by March) then by all means broadcast that incompetence with a gov't shutdown. Since Trump has Twitter he will expose them everyday of the shutdown and his approval numbers will continue to grow. Poor, sad, stupid liberals - lose at every turn. I love WINNING! MAGA!